Folding crib



A. M. BROWN FOLDING CRIB Nov. 11,1947.

Filed May 17, 1944 I INVENTOR. vzszm A 7" roam/Ems,

Patented Nov. 11, 1947 FOLDING CRIB Ambrose M. Brown, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application May 17, 1944, Serial No. 535,904

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in folding cribs.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide an improved folding crib which may be readily collapsed to a convenient size to facilitate transportation thereof, and also to render it capable of being stored in a relatively small space when not in use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a folding crib in which the major parts are movable to a position parallel to one another.

It is a further object of this invention to pro-.- vide a folding crib in which all parts are held rigidly when in assembled position.

In my prior Patent No. 1,846,673 a folding crib is disclosed wherein one of the side members forms the usual vertically movable gate, and wherein the opposite side member is movable to a position close to the first mentioned side to permit collapse of the ends.

The present invention is an improvement over the construction shown in said prior patent in that one side member is fixed and the opposite side member is constructed and supported in a novel manner so that the latter is not only movable in a vertical direction to serve as a gate in use, but is also hingedly movable to a position to facilitate collapse.

It is, therefore, a further object of the present invention to provide an improved arrangement as above described including novel latch mechanism for the movable side, said mechanism serving to releasably maintain the side against collapsing movement, and also serving to releasably maintain the side in a selected high or low position of vertical adjustment.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improvements in folding cribs and all its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the crib in assembled condition;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through one of the ends showing the latch mechanism in front elevation, the dot and dash lines indicating the position of the latch when the side is in a lowered position; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illus- 2 trating the inner side of the latch, the dot and dashlines showing the relative position of the parts prior to swinging the side down to collapsed position.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,'the crib includes a pair of end members 3 each comprising a fixed section 9 and a foldable section l0. Each foldable section II] is connected to its fixed section 9 by hinges H which permit movement of the foldable section from the position of Fig. 2 to a position at right angles to the fixed section 9 and toward the interior of the crib. A fixed side member l2 has the ends of its rails l3 and i4 secured to the fixed end sections 9.

A bottom member l5 includes an outer angle iron frame It for supporting elongated spring members H. The frame I 6 has one of its ends pivotally connected to the fixed section 9 of one of the end members as at I8 and has its other end similarly pivoted to the opposite fixed section 9 as at IS. The bottom member is there fore swingable from the full line horizontal position of Fig. 2 to the dot and dash line vertical position shown therein.

Secured to one of the long sides of the frame i6 and extending below the side rail M is a side strip- 20. This strip is movable with the frame I6 when the latter is swung to the collapsed position and serves to prevent the mattress 2! from falling downwardly when the parts are in the dot and dash line position of Fig. 2.

An X-frame 22 has its inner ends hingedly connected as at 23 to the lower side of the frame Hi. The opposite ends of the X-frame are connected to angles 2d and the latter are in turn secured to a sideboard 25. The arrangement is such that the X-frame 22 may be swung on the hinges 23 from the full line position of Fig. 2 to the dot and dash line position therein to cause lowering of the sideboard 25. During such swinging movement the spring frame It remains in its full line position where it is suitably supported on brackets 26 secured to the end sections I9. Said frame [6 has its end angle portions releasably engageable with the brackets '26.

I-Iingedly connected as at 28 to the upper edge of the sideboard 25 is the lower rail 29 of the movable side member 36. The side member 39 also includes an upper rail 3| which is connected by vertical rods 32 with the lower rail.

Secured to each end of the upper rail Si is a latch member 33. Aside from having a right and left hand construction the latch members 33 are identical. These latch members cooperate with vertical elongated guiding members 34 which are secured to the foldable sections of the end members as at 35. Each elongated guiding member 34 has an upper horizontal offset 36 and a lower horizontal offset 37.

The latches 33 are of novel construction and are arranged to cooperate with the members 34 to releasably maintain the side member 30 in an upright position and to maintain the same in either the high position illustrated by full lines in Fig. 2 or the low position illustrated by dot and dash lines. Each latch comprises a base portion 38 having a projecting fastening lug 39, an upright portion in bent upwardly at right angles from the base portion, and a top portion 4! which is in the form of an inverted channel and which.

is notched as at 3-5 for cooperation witha 1ockingplate ib, which is pivoted as at M to the outer sideof the upright portion 413. Above thefre'e end of the leg 43 the upright portion is cutout asat 38 to provide a space throughgwhich the oiiset :portion 3% of the guiding member fi i 'may be withdrawn when the lockingzplat'e. 46 is in the openposition'of Fig. 4 andlwhen the parts are in the-relative positions shown by the dot and dash lines in Fig. i.

The upright portion id is provided with afastening lug d9 so that the latch: members may be permanently connected to the ends of the rail-- 3! by the use of screws 59 as shown in Fig. 4.

During use of the assembled zcribithe flocking plates-4% will normally be-in the closed position of-Fig. 3 to lock the rail to the guiding members Birth-e latter being received in thes10ts' 32." The channel-shaped top portion '41 of each latchiwill.

be supported on the upper offsetsxiio as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to maintain'the crib side member 3% in. an elevated'or high position. If it is desired to lower the'side'ifi a slight upward pullonsthe top rail 3! wiil disengage thecchannels M "from the offsets 36; The rail is then-pulledaforwardly toward the operator and this latter movement is permitted by the lengthof the slotsd-Za'When the.

latches have been puiled-forwardly sufiiciently. to

clear the oiisets 3S then-thelatches will :slide downwardly on the elongated guiding :members 34 as shown by the-dot and'dash'lines in-:Figs; 2 and 3 until the base portions 38 of the latches engage the bottomoffsets 31.

During such downward movement the 'X-frame 22:vill pivot to-the dot and'dash positiontof Fig.1

2 carrying with it the sideboard '25 andside meme;

To return-the side'membertfi'to their highposition'the reverse of the above operation= 1 is carried out.

If it is desired to collapse the crib then 'both of the plates on the latches'33 are swung to the open position of Fig. e 'onLthe pivots; .This'eX poses the horizontal slots 5! :below the'cut out portions 453 'so that when-'theirail- 31 is pulled upwardly to bring the bases 33 of the latches into contact with theunder sidesof :the offsets 36 (as illustrated by "dot land-s dash lines in Fig.4),

then by pushing inwardly onithelrail 3i the ofi-"- sets '38 will pass throughtheslots' 5|; This permits a swinging cf theside member 30 on the hinges 23 from the full line. position of Fig. 2

to the dot and dash'line position therein. After the side member 36 has thus been swung intoparallelism with the mattressand bottom frame, thenthe bottom frame 16 is pulled upwardly to free it from the end brackets 26 and is swung on the pivots I8 and [9 to the upright dot and dash line position shown in Fig. 2. Then by swinging the foldable sections ll! of the end members inwardly on the hinges H the entire crib is collapsed into very compact form.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and all of such changes arecontemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A folding crib comprising an upright side member, a pair of end members each formed of a section fixed to said side member and a section hinged to the fixed section, an elongated vertical guiding member secured to each foldable end member section near the outer side edge thereof; a bottom member pivoted at its ends to said fixed sections of the end members for movement from a horizontal position to a vertical position between said fixed end member sections,"- a frame hingedon one of its sides to-saidbottom member and having'its other side swingable. belowthebottom member iroma raised-position near the bottom member to a lowered'positioma normally upright crib side member hingedly con- 1 nected at its lower edge along a horizontal hinge line in the swingable side of saidframe and-movableiitherewith,said hinge connection providing for folding. movement of said side member over uponsaidbottom member, in parallelismtherewithand above the same, when said frame and side member are in raised position on the side member-having portions'slidably engaging said elongated verticalguiding members tomaintain said side member :in upright position and said vertical. guiding members having horizontal end portionszand said latching devices includinghook portions detachably engaging one orth oth'erof said zhorizontal end portions for'relea'sably holdingnsaid .iside member in raised upright pc sitio'nr 2. A .foldingcrib comprisingan upright sidemember a pair of end memberseach-formed oiia section'fixed to said side member and" a section hinged to the fixed section; an elo ated vertical guiding memberwhaving"lateral offsets secured. to each foldableend-'member section near the outer side edge-thereof, a bottomsmember pivotedeat its ends-to said'fixed sections: of the end members for movement irom-- a horizontaiposition to avertical position between saidffixed end member sectionssa frame hinged ononeiof its sides. to saicl bottom memberand' having its other side swingablelbelow'the bottom member from. a raised'position' near the bottom memberztoa lowered-position, a normally upright crib side member hingedly connected at its lower edge ialong. ahorizontal-hinge-line-to theswing;

able-lside of said frameand movable'therewith; said hinge connection providingfor ioldingmove: ment of said side memberover upon said bottom" member; in parallelism therewithandabove the 7' same, when said frame and side member are'in" raised'position, and latching devices on the side member having portions slidabl y 'engaging said elongated vertical guiding members to "maintain the side member in upright position; said verti= of said horizontal end portions for'releasably'hold-j ing said side member-in raiseduprightl'posie tion; said latching devices being vertically movable on said elongated guiding members from the raised to the lowered position.

3. A folding crib comprising an upright side member, a pair of end members each formed of a section fixed to said side member and a section hinged to the fixed section, a bottom member pivoted at its ends to said fixed sections of the end members for movement from a horizontal position to a vertical position between said fixed end member sections a frame hinged on one of its sides to said bottom member and having its opposite side swingable below the bottom member from a raised position near the bottom member to a lowered position, a horizontally extending sideboard supported on the swingable side of said hinged frame and projecting above the crib bottom member a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a mattress, a normally upright crib side member having its lower edge hinged to the upper edge of said sideboard to permit folding movement of said crib side member into parallelism with the crib bottom member, and latching means on said side member and hinged end 6 member section cooperable to releasably maintain said crib side member in upright position and in a selected raised or lowered upright position.

AMBROSE M. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

